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SINGAPORE: A new integrated circuit design research centre has been launched to position Singapore for new growth areas in the electronics industry.
The S$50 million centre aims to be a world-class integrated circuit design house.
It will focus on ultra low power green microchips and circuits used in laptops and mobile phones. They can also be used in medical technology and clean technology.
The centre, called VIRTUS, is jointly funded by the Nanyang Technological University and the Economic Development Board. It will be located at NTU and is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2010.
VIRTUS will also collaborate with renowned universities, top research institutions and well-known companies for research and development in IC design and technology.
It also aims to train more than 100 postgraduate students and researchers in the next five years.
The project is in line with Singapore's plans to develop new growth areas in the electronics sector. These new growth segments are projected to triple their contribution to form about a third of Singapore's electronics output by 2020.
Damian Chan, director, Electronics, Singapore Economic Development Board, said: "IC design is a key enabling capability and an area to drive the growth of electronics and semi-conductor manufacturing and R&D in Singapore.
"It is also an important area to drive some of our new growth areas in electronics, especially bioelectronics and green electronics."
There are also many expected economic spinoffs from investing in these areas.
Professor Kam Chin Han, chair, School of Electrical & Electronic, Engineering, NTU, said: "IC design area is all about innovation because your design comes out, you get intellectual property, you commercialise it, you spin it off, and companies license it and they manufacture it. So it's a very big impact on the whole industry."
Separately, Agilent Technologies will also contribute simulation software worth some S$28 million to VIRTUS, under a memorandum of understanding signed on Tuesday with NTU. - CNA/vm
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